Diaper Care

Wash before wear!

Your new diapers need to be washed at least once before your baby wears the diaper. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions as stated on the label. Usually you will wash your new diapers (pocket diapers, all in one diapers, polyurethane laminate covers) in hot water with a very small amount of detergent (See below for detergent recommendations) and dry in the dryer or hang to dry! 

A note on natural fabrics: hemp, bamboo and unbleached cotton will need to wash and dry at least 3-5 times to remove their natural oils and waxes (i.e. wash-dry, then wash-dry, then wash-dry, etc.). Natural fabrics need to be washed separately from your Pocket Diapers, All-in-One Diapers, All-in-Two Diapers, Covers and anything that is made with Polyester. Once the initial prep is done for your natural fabrics, you can wash everything together!

When to change:

Diapers should be changed as soon as they become soiled or wet. Two to three hours is the recommended time a child should be left in a diaper, cloth or disposable. During naptime and nighttime, exceptions do apply.

Recommended Detergents:

**NEW Diaper Detergent Search! Search for the best diaper detergent here!

Please refer to each manufacturer for guidelines. The Diaper Jungle has developed a complete cloth diaper detergent chart .  This chart rates

 each detergent to help you find the perfect detergent for your cloth diapers. The top mainstream pick is Tide and the Top environmentally friendly pick is Country Save. I prefer Country Save, I have never had a problem with it and I use it for everything! I recommend to read the ingredient list carefully, as many “earth friendly” detergents contain oils that can cause your diapers to repel!

The Diaper Jungle recommends finding the detergent with the least amount of ingredients, insuring that it will be less likely to cause repelling or detergent residue.  Another option is to make your own Homemade laundry detergent, very cost effective and few ingredients.

Washing your diapers:

Easy Steps to follow:

2. Cloth diapers can go directly in your diaper pail (I prefer the dry pail method).  If the diaper is soiled, rinse off any solids in the toilet (If you are using pockets, remove inserts and rinse the diaper) then place in your diaper pail. **If your baby is Exclusively Breastfeeding, you don’t need to rinse the solids off in the toilet as it is water soluble.

3. Optional: Pre-Rinse heavily soiled diapers on cold and a small amount of detergent.

4. On wash day, place appropriate amount of detergent that is free of enzymes, fragrances and optical brighteners in washer (read recommendations for High Efficiency Machines and top loaders).  Place the diapers, inserts and wetbag (if required) in the washer. Then wash your diapers in hot water/cold water rinse cycle. Once wash is complete, run one more cold rinse cycle to get the detergent residue off of the diapers.

5. Place dryer on heat setting recommended by manufacturer or hang to dry. Remember the sun’s rays are a natural bleach and antibacterial agent. I hang mine to dry, it is easier and they always get so white! Note: Most covers can be washed and dried with the diapers, but to preserve the elastic and waterproof layer, I hang mine to dry most often.
6. Depending on Diaper System, once dry they are ready to use. Either pre-stuff your pockets for easy changes or prefold your “prefolds” to have them ready for quick diaper changes!

Important notes!

~Wool requires a completely different routine and should not be washed in this manner. Follow care instructions provided by manufacturer.

~Do not use bleach! Bleach will damage your diaper’s fibers and elastic.

~Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue which causes fleece to repel urine and decreases the absorbency of other diapers.

~I recommend periodically drying your PUL fabrics in the dryer to help seal the laminate.